Luca CiferriLUCA CIFERRI Europe will end 18-month sales slump with positive April 12:01 am U.S. ET | May 10, 2013  Strong April UK car sales and a solid rebound in Germany last month will help western Europe end 18 consecutive months of year-on-year declines, analysts predict. Despite this, market watchers have stopped short of saying Europe is on the verge of an extended turnaround.... Read More »
LUCA CIFERRI European execs see hope in China 12:01 am U.S. ET | April 29, 2013  The Shanghai auto show proved again that China is the promised land for automakers, particularly European companies bracing for a sixth straight year of declining car sales in their home region. As a result, automakers are adding products, entering new segments and increasing their dealer networks to keep pace Luca Ciferri is editor-in-chief for Automotive News Europe.... Read More »
LUCA CIFERRI Why even a weak China is good news for European automakers 12:01 am U.S. ET | April 24, 2013  The Shanghai auto show proved once again that China is the promised land for automakers, particularly Europeans bracing for a sixth straight year of declining car sales in their home region.... Read More »
LUCA CIFERRI Looking for a Chinese car in Shanghai 12:01 am U.S. ET | April 19, 2013  If I were an executive at a Chinese domestic automaker, I would be very worried. Why? Because it is difficult to find a Chinese-brand car on the streets of Shanghai.... Read More »
LUCA CIFERRI Looking for a Chinese car in Shanghai 12:01 am U.S. ET | April 19, 2013  If I were an executive at a Chinese domestic automaker, I would be very worried. Why? Because it is difficult to find a Chinese-brand car on the streets of Shanghai.... Read More »
LUCA CIFERRI Germany stumbles in global sales race 12:01 am U.S. ET | April 4, 2013  Germany knows just how powerful the BRIC nations have become. Once the world’s third-largest vehicle-sales market, Germany is at risk of falling to seventh in the global ranking this year because of the rise of the BRICs (Brazil, Russia, India and China).... Read More »
LUCA CIFERRI BMW, Audi show off rival visions 12:01 am U.S. ET | April 2, 2013  The escalating rivalry among Germany's premium automakers was fully on show at the annual financial results conferences of Audi and BMW.... Read More »
LUCA CIFERRI BMW, Audi show off rival visions 12:01 am U.S. ET | April 2, 2013  The escalating rivalry among Germany's premium automakers was fully on show at the annual financial results conferences of Audi and BMW.... Read More »
LUCA CIFERRI BMW needs to adapt its retirement policy to changing times 12:01 am U.S. ET | March 28, 2013  BMW plans to raise the mandatory retirement age for its top management to 62 from 60 but the company isn't going far enough if it wants to keep the expertise of long-serving executives.... Read More »
LUCA CIFERRI In Geneva, so long to the classic sedan 12:01 am U.S. ET | March 18, 2013  The Geneva auto show signaled that the classic four-door, three-box sedan with a true trunk is out of fashion, particularly in Europe. Two examples of this trend come from automakers with long traditions of sedan making: BMW and Mercedes-Benz Luca Ciferri is editor-in-chief for Automotive News Europe.... Read More »
LUCA CIFERRI Design message from Geneva: Bye-bye classic sedan 12:01 am U.S. ET | March 12, 2013  The Geneva auto show signaled that the classic four-door, three-box sedan with a true trunk is out of fashion, particularly in Europe. Two examples of this trend come from automakers with long traditions of sedan making: BMW and Mercedes-Benz.... Read More »
LUCA CIFERRI The LaFerrari is a Ferrari first 12:01 am U.S. ET | March 6, 2013  The LaFerrari supercar is the first model entirely designed by the company's styling center. Ferrari says it is not a bad sign for longtime partner Pininfarina.... Read More »
LUCA CIFERRI The LaFerrari is a Ferrari first 12:01 am U.S. ET | March 6, 2013  The LaFerrari supercar is the first model entirely designed by the company's styling center. Ferrari says it is not a bad sign for longtime partner Pininfarina.... Read More »
LUCA CIFERRI Is this really a different Note? 8:00 am U.S. ET | March 5, 2013  When I saw the new Nissan Note today I asked myself: Am I at the right auto show? Is this really the all-new Note that Nissan said would be dramatically different from the first-generation car? No chance.... Read More »
LUCA CIFERRI Ghosn: Too early to revise European sales predictions downward 12:01 am U.S. ET | March 5, 2013  Renault-Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn believes it is too early to revise downward sales predictions for Europe this year. Ghosn acknowledged that January and February sales in the region had been very bad with a combined decline of about 9 percent, but he added that sales can't continue to decline forever.... Read More »
LUCA CIFERRI Mercedes A class suffers decisive defeat 12:01 am U.S. ET | March 4, 2013  The Mercedes-Benz A class suffered a surprisingly decisive defeat in the 2013 European Car of the Year contest won easily by the Volkswagen Golf.... Read More »
LUCA CIFERRI Don't mess with Ferrari 12:01 am U.S. ET | March 1, 2013  Give credit to the organizers of the Geneva auto show, they know better than to mess with Ferrari.... Read More »
LUCA CIFERRI Why Daimler should have more faith in Italy 12:01 am U.S. ET | Feb. 14, 2013  Daimler is one of the companies bracing itself against Italy's possible exit from the euro. The controversial move comes at a tense time for the country.... Read More »
LUCA CIFERRI Big, boring but profitable 12:01 am U.S. ET | Feb. 4, 2013  They are big and boring-looking, but light commercial vehicles are crucial to the financial health of many European volume brands. LCVs provide hefty profits -- as high as 9 percent -- and that cash has been invaluable to Renault, Fiat, Peugeot and Opel.... Read More »
LUCA CIFERRI Europe: Bad and getting worse 12:01 am U.S. ET | Feb. 1, 2013  Fiat and Ford lost a combined 2 billion euros in Europe last year and both automakers expect this year to be even tougher. Ford predicts its 2013 European loss will rise to $2 billion while Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne says that Europe "perhaps has not yet hit bottom."... Read More »
LUCA CIFERRI Maserati flagship leaves Chrysler roots behind 12:01 am U.S. ET | Jan. 15, 2013  Maserati CEO Harald Wester gets mad when he hears that the new Quattroporte is based on Chrysler underpinnings.... Read More »
Renault to join fast-growing niche with CapturJan. 12, 2013 06:01 CET  Renault soon will join the fast-growing subcompact crossover segment with the Captur, which will debut at the Geneva auto show in March. Small crossover sales in Europe are forecast to more than double to 400,000 by 2015.... Read More »
Audi names former Lancia boss to head Italy operationsJan. 11, 2013 12:11 CET  Audi has named former Lancia boss Fabrizio Longo to run its Italian operations. Longo was a mentor to current Audi sales boss Luca De Meo when they both worked at Lancia parent Fiat.... Read More »
LUCA CIFERRI Italy's sales decline takes us back to 1979 12:01 am U.S. ET | Jan. 10, 2013  Italy car sales last year fell 20 percent to 1.4 million units, the country's worst result in 33 years. Back then, domestic automakers had a dominating 61.7 percent share of the market, in 2012 they controlled just 29.7 percent.... Read More »
LUCA CIFERRI Getting to know Dacia 12:01 am U.S. ET | Jan. 2, 2013  Until last year, I had not driven a modern Dacia model nor felt any compelling reason to do so. However, the huge sales success of the Duster SUV encouraged me to try one of the models made by Renault's low-cost subsidiary.... Read More »
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